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on Thai Fighters (2026) ReviewYeah, you know me/I'm down with Michael B.! Who knew there wasn't going to be…
on Thai Fighters (2026) ReviewWow, Mercury Man - core memory unlocked, I’d forgotten all about that thing!…
on Tarantino doubles down on the Bruce Lee controversy in the New ‘The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth’ Trailerlol funny you say this. I was just watching it on Tubi! It has one heck of an…
on Tarantino doubles down on the Bruce Lee controversy in the New ‘The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth’ TrailerBruce Lee was not this mythic holy man who walked on water, he was merely a m…
on Exclusive: New U.S. trailer for Sammo Hung’s ‘The Bodyguard’[…] 出典: Asian Movie Pulse、cityonfire.com […]
on Eye for an Eye: The Blind Swordsman (2022) ReviewOh, boy---another one who is completely ignorant of what the term "woke" actu…
on Tarantino doubles down on the Bruce Lee controversy in the New ‘The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth’ Trailer1) Tarantino’s film is not a Bruce Lee biopic. 2) Just watch Dragon again if…
on Fish, Fists and Ambergris | aka Chase for Amber (2025) ReviewThanks for the review, this movie was alot of fun. The humour only hits half…
on NOT based on the classic video game of the same name! Watch the Newest Trailer for ‘Karateka’Ironic comment considering its a Japanese woman thats bowing down to Trump th…
on NOT based on the classic video game of the same name! Watch the Newest Trailer for ‘Karateka’Would’ve hit way harder if she was of Japanese descent. This feels like strai…
on Hungry? Watch the New Trailer for ‘Wheels on Meals’ arriving on 4K Ultra HD in November from EurekaCool movie. But no Blu-Ray not for me.
on Enter the Dragon: The Most Overrated Kung Fu Movie Ever?It pains me to agree, i'll watch Golden Harvest Bruce Lee before ETD any day…
on BADDER Lieutenant! Watch the New U.S. Trailer for Takashi Miike’s ‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ arriving soon from NeonAn Asian guy as the only star? Come on! Add a white blonde!
on Hope (2026) ReviewOne of the best films of the year for me.Hwang Jung-min on the big screen I n…
Category Archives: Japanese
Assassination Classroom (2015) Review
Director: Eiichiro Hasumi Writer: Yusei Matsui, Tatsuya Kanazawa Cast: Ryosuke Yamada, Masaki Suda, Maika Yamamoto, Seika Taketomi, Mio Yuki, Miku Uehara Kanna Hashimoto, Seishiro Kato, Kang Ji-Young, Masanobu Takashima, Kippei Shiina, Kazunari Ninomiya, Wakana Aoi, Mirei Kiritani Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall There’s a painfully transparent trend being followed by the studios when it comes to mainstream Japanese cinema that’s emerged in recent years, and it’s one that … Continue reading
Terra Formars (2016) Review
Director: Takashi Miike Cast: Hideaki Ito, Takayuki Yamada, Kane Kosugi, Emi Takei, Shun Oguri, Masaya Kato, Rinko Kikuchi, Tomohisa Yamashita, Eiko Koike, Mariko Shinoda, Rila Fukushima, Kenichi Takito, Rina Ohta, Ken Aoki, Kiyohiko Shibukawa Running time: 108 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic Fans and those familiar with the work of Takashi Miike might be missing the “old” Miike; whoever enjoyed films such as Dead or Alive, Deadly Outlaw: Rekka, Ichi … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Hideaki Ito, Kane Kosugi, Takashi Miike
Kwaidan | aka Ghost Stories (1965) Review
AKA: Weird Tales Director: Masaki Kobayashi Writer: Yoko Mizuki, Lafcadio Hearn Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Rentaro Mikuni, Tetsuro Tamba, Takashi Shimura, Michiyo Aratama, Kunie Tanaka Running Time: 182 min. By Kyle Warner It’s long been my opinion that every great filmmaker should try their hand at horror at least once over the course of their career. Horror directors sometimes repeat some of the same themes, the same scares, the same monsters, and it takes … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Kunie Tanaka, Masaki Kobayashi, Michiyo Aratama, Rentaro Mikuni, Takashi Shimura, Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsuro Tamba
Shin Godzilla | aka Godzilla: Resurgence (2016) Review
AKA: Godzilla: Resurgence Director: Hideaki Anno Co-director: Shinji Higuchi Cast: Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara, Kengo Kora, Ren Osugi, Akira Emoto Running Time: 120 min. By Kelly Warner In the 90’s, the Japanese Godzilla was killed off by his own nuclear heart going into meltdown, and the American Godzilla was killed off by the world’s general disinterest in ever seeing Roland Emmerich’s monster iguana on screen again. Toho’s ‘Millennium’ … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akira Emoto, Godzilla, Hideaki Anno, Hiroki Hasegawa, Jun Kunimura, Kimiko Yo, Mikako Ichikawa, Ren Osugi, Satomi Ishihara, Shinji Higuchi, Shinya Tsukamoto
Return of Godzilla, The | aka Godzilla 1985 (1984) Review
AKA: Godzilla 1985 Director: Koji Hashimoto Cast: Keiju Kobayashi, Ken Tankaka, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Shin Takuma, Yosuke Natsuki, Eitaro Ozawa, Hiroshi Koizumi, Mizuho Suzuki, Taketoshi Naito Running Time: 103 min. By Kyle Warner Godzilla’s back. Warner Bros. is crafting a kaiju shared-universe along the lines of what superheroes are doing and will be soon be pitting the Godzilla of 2014 against King Kong. Back in Japan, Toho has jumpstarted their own Godzilla … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Godzilla, Hiroshi Koizumi, Keiju Kobayashi, Nobuo Kaneko
Golgo 13 (1973) Review
Director: Junya Sato Cast: Ken Takakura, Mohsen Sohrabi, Jaleh Sam, Yadolla Shirandami, Jalal Pishvaian, Arezu, Siamak Atlassi, Arash Taj, Dariush Asadzade, Ezatallah Ramezanifar Running Time: 104 min. By Martin Sandison A couple of nights after the screening of Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, a real rarity was presented at the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival: The 1973 version of Golgo 13, starring the legendary Ken Takakura (The Yakuza). Never … Continue reading
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972) Review
Director: Kenji Misumi Producer: Shintaro Katsu Cast: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Tomoko Mayama, Fumio Watanabe, Keiko Fujita, Reiko Kasahara, Yunosuke Ito, Shun’ya Wazaki Running Time: 83 min. By Martin Sandison In February of this year, I attended a drinks function for the Edinburgh Film Festival, which takes place in June. I bumped into an acquaintance I’d known for many years, an actor and senior programmer called Niall Fulton, who the previous … Continue reading
Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701’s Grudge Song (1973) Review
Director: Yasuharu Hasebe Cast: Meiko Kaji, Masakazu Tamura, Yumi Kanei, Hiroshi Tsukata, Yayoi Watanabe, Sanae Nakahara, Akemi Negishi, Toshiyuki Hosokawa, Junko Ando Running Time: 89 min. By Kyle Warner After apparently feeling that his job was done, director Shunya Ito left the Scorpion series after the third film, Beast Stable. Stepping into his place would be Yasuharu Hasebe, a director with no shortage of experience working in the exploitation genre, including three Stray Cat … Continue reading
Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973) Review
Director: Shunya Ito Cast: Meiko Kaji, Mikio Narita, Reisen Lee, Yayoi Watanabe, Koji Nanbara, Takashi Fujiki Running Time: 87 min. By Kelly Warner Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable is a very different movie from the two that came before it. Meiko Kaji’s Matsu the Scorpion is on the lam after having narrowly survived her prison escape in Jailhouse 41. Wanted posters with her face are all over the city streets, warning that … Continue reading
Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972) Review
Director: Shunya Ito Story: Toru Shinohara Cast: Meiko Kaji, Fumio Watanabe, Kayoko Shiraishi, Yukie Kagawa, Yuki Arasa, Hideo Murota Running Time: 94 min. By Kyle Warner In the opening moments of Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41, we find our antihero Matsu the Scorpion (Meiko Kaji) chained up in solitary confinement. She’s been locked away for a year after the bloodshed she caused in the previous film. The series’ familiar theme song … Continue reading
Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972) Review
Director: Shunya Ito Cast: Meiko Kaji, Rie Yokoyama, Yayoi Watanabe, Yōko Mihara, Akemi Negishi, Keiko Kuni, Yumiko Katayama, Emi Jo, Isao Natsuyagi, Fumio Watanabe Running Time: 87 min. By Kelly Warner Almost every ambitious leading man or lady is on the lookout for that iconic role that will shoot them to superstardom, netting them a legion of fans and hopefully a mountain of cash. Roles that earn awards can prove … Continue reading
Sadako vs Kayako | aka The Ring vs The Grudge (2016) Review
AKA: Ring vs Ju-On Director: Koji Shiraishi Cast: Mizuki Yamamoto, Tina Tamashiro, Aimi Satsukawa, Masahiro Komoto, Masanobu Ando Running Time: 99 min. By Paul Bramhall Starting any review of Sadako vs Kayako might as well begin with a recap of the two titular horror movie franchises that they’re a part of. As the cursed spirit of the Ringu series, this installment notches up Sadako’s twelfth onscreen appearance (soon to be … Continue reading
House (1977) Review
Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi Cast: Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Ai Matubara, Kumiko Oba, Mieko Sato, Eriko Tanaka, Masayo Miyako, Yoko Minamida, Kiyohiko Ozaki, Saho Sasazawa Running Time: 88 min. By Martin Sandison Ten years ago my knowledge of Japanese cult cinema was lacking to say the least. Then the best cinema in Scotland, The Filmhouse, put on a season where I caught 11 movies in two weeks. The titles I watched … Continue reading
Murder Unincorporated (1965) Review
Director: Haruyasu Noguchi Cast: Jo Shishido, Yoko Yamamoto, Kon Omura, Yumiko Nogawa, Eiji Go, Daizaburo Hirata, Hiroshi Cho, E.H. Eric, Kanbi Fujiyama, Tonpei Hidari, Hiroshi Hijikata Running Time: 85 min. By Kyle Warner Before the Nikkatsu logo even hits the screen, one of Murder Unincorporated’s characters directly addresses the audience. “Hey, you!” he shouts with a snarl. “If you don’t laugh when you see this movie, I’m going to execute you!” … Continue reading
Mozu: The Movie (2015) Review
Director: Eiichiro Hasumi Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Takeshi Kitano, Teruyuki Kagawa, Yoko Maki, Yusuke Iseya, Tori Matsuzaka, Hiroki Hasegawa, Fumiyo Kohinata, Sosuke Ikematsu, Atsushi Ito Running Time: 116 min. By Paul Bramhall Takeshi ‘Beat’ Kitano is easily one of the most recognizable faces in Japanese cinema, directing a number of movies that are rightfully considered masterpieces. When he acts, it’s usually also in his own productions, so whenever news emerges that … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Hidetoshi Nishijima, Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi)
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